Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is headed north of the border today for an event touting a new form of ethanol.

By “north of the border,” we mean Iowa, and of course whenever you mention Iowa together with a prominent Democrat like Nixon, tongues begin to wag about the political implications of it all.

Not so, Nixon’s camp said this morning.

“No politics,” the governor’s office tweeted this morning. “Next-gen technology promises to be a game-changer for ethanol industry in #MO.”

The event is at a plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, in the north-central part of the state.

A statement from the governor’s office said the plant is “a joint effort between POET LLC and Royal DSM (and) will be among the first commercial-scale bio-refineries in the U.S. to use corncobs, leaves, husk and some stalk to produce ethanol, while leaving most of the available material in the ground to help control erosion and replace nutrients.

“POET-DSM plans to bring this next-generation technology to a number of other plants around the U.S. in coming years.”

In the statement, Nixon said the technology “holds tremendous promise for our farmers and rural communities here in Missouri, as well as for families across the nation who will benefit from this renewable, homegrown fuel.

“Misssouri is already a national leader in ethanol production, and I look forward to exploring how these new, innovative technologies can help us build on this strong foundation.”

Nixon cannot run for another term as governor, and he’s been mentioned as a possible 2016 presidential candidate, particularly if Hillary Clinton opts not to seek the White House.